No laughing matter in area

May 5, 2013

A resident's comments regarding an early proposal on having the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department take over police protection from the village department made us chuckle.

"I am sick of 'saving money;' first we were going to 'save money' by getting water from Buffalo, then we were going to 'save money' by moving our (Department of Public Works) building out of the village," the resident said during Tuesday's meeting.

Trust us, Silver Creek residents, if you live in the village and pay taxes, you are not and have never saved any money when it comes to taxes. The village has the highest tax burden - $44.95 per $1,000 of assessed valuation - in our region. Those tax rates are based on an average county home sale of $81,120.

Right behind Silver Creek is Brocton, with a rate of $43.52, according to the Empire Center for New York State Policy.

These numbers, we might add, fail to faze those who are parochial and ready to defend an entity's identity anytime there is a mention of consolidating villages into towns or school districts.

Those who believe our outdated system of fiefdoms makes sense needs to head South where county government is king. There are no towns or villages for that added tax burden.

Fact Box

High municipal tax rates

Here is a look at the highest tax rates per $1,000 of assessed valuation - for schools, villages, towns and county - in our region on a home sold for an average of $81,120:

Silver Creek - $44.95.

Brocton - $43.52.

Gowanda, in Erie County - $42.94.

Fredonia - $37.84.

Westfield - $37.61.

Cassadaga - $35.42.

Forestville - $33.89.

Gowanda, Cattaraugus County - $32.57.

Source: Empire Center for New York State Policy, 2012.

Officials there call it "efficiency" which leads to a robust economy and population gains. Here, unfortunately, many - in the form of business and residents - have been part of a county exodus for more than 30 years.